[SLUG] Cheap Linux Box

[Bob Garrood]

Hi

Here is some text for part1 (draft) of the £100 Linux computer offerred for 
comments.  It could do with plenty of checking, especially the declaimer.  It 
is about 2 A4 sides.

						A £100 Linux Computer.

DISCLAIMER.  The advice in this leaflet has been carefully researched by the 
author and checked by others.  It is offered in good faith, but neither the 
author, nor Scarborough Linux User Group can accept any liability whatsoever 
for costs arising out of following it.  YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.

Do you need a computer?  What sort?  How much will it cost?  The answers 
depend on what you want it for.  This leaflet is about a computer that will 
do these things and more: surf the internet, send and receive e-mail: write 
letters, newsletters and even novels: use spreadsheets and databases to run a 
small business: play games with you that are sophisticated enough for adults, 
but not necessarily for teenagers.  It uses Linux as its operating system.  
Most people and families need some of the things it can do.  If you want more 
you will need to investigate further.

Why is  £100 a sensible amount?.  Because it provides a simple computer that 
does what 99% of individuals and families actually need.   If you have less, 
or can reuse parts of an older computer, you can.  But it's harder, and 
explaining that comes later.  If you want to spend a bit more to make life 
easier, you can do that too, and that will be explained as well.

What sort of computer do you get for around £100?  Second user obviously.  An 
all new system costs at least double even if you know where to look, and more 
if you buy on the High Street.  Notice the second user.  Second user, for 
this leaflet means reconditioned by a reputable dealer, and offered with a 
six month guarantee.  Second hand can be a pitfall.  This is due to an iron 
law in computing, know as Moore's Law, which says (roughly) that computers 
double in power every year.  So each year your computer loses half its value.  
Buy a computer for £800 and after 1 year it is worth £400, 2 years £200, 3 
years £100 and so on.  Extras (except perhaps for printers, of which more 
later) make no difference.  A second user computer from a reputable dealer 
will take this into account.  A local second hand shop,  that is not a 
specialist computer shop, or someone who puts an ad in the local paper, may 
not.

Why can you get  a perfectly usable computer for £100?  Because government, 
both local and central, likes to spend money.  And business often, if it has 
money to spare likes to spend it.  They spend it on machines, because you can 
take pictures of machines and show them to your friends.  If you spend it on 
training  you might end up with questions.

Why should you buy a computer for £100?  Because government and business throw 
out thousands of perfectly good computers every year, and if we do not stop 
throwing them out, and start reusing them, there will be big problems for our 
landfill sites very soon.

What do you buy? These components.  Do not worry too much if the terms are not 
clear to you . This is what you want.

		Base unit.  This is the computer itself.  The bit that does the business is 
called the processor.  Ask for a P3 processor.  A P4, which is a more modern 
processor, is probably not so good a bet second user as it uses much more 
power and needs much more cooling.  The processor speed needs to be about 600 
megahertz or higher, although less is possible.  If they say 1 gig, this 
means 1000 megahertz and is fine.  It must have fast memory (RAM) of at least 
128 Megabytes (Mb). This is critical.  More is better.  If you buy less you 
will need to read the section on what to to with a really old computer.  The 
hard drive can be any size from 5 Gigabytes (Gb) up.  It doesn't need to be 
more, but if you get more that is good as it is likely to be newer, and as 
this is the bit with moving parts, it is this that will wear out first.

		A mouse and keyboard.  If they say PS/2 that is great, otherwise ask.

		A monitor.  Flat screen TFT monitors are great, but what makes our £100 
budget possible is that there are thousands of old CRT screens out there that 
have decades of life left in them.  They are heavy, but cheap.  17" is 
usually the minimum recommended, but many people could probably manage with a 
15", which saves space, and if you are on good terms with the local rugby 
team 19" or higher are great bargains now.

		A modem.  This is critical, it is the bit you need to connect to the 
internet.  There are things around called Winmodems - treat as avian flu 
carriers.  They will not work with Linux.  You need an external modem, which 
attaches to the outside of your computer, or you must ask for cast iron 
guarantees from your supplier that if it has an internal modem (one you can't 
see) then there are drivers (software) that come with it to make it work with 
Linux.

What might you expect to pay?  These are figures from suppliers that advertise 
nationally in magazines.

		Base unit.  700Mhz  128Mb  6Gb hard drive       £49
                (above includes mouse and keyboard)
		17" CRT monitor                                                 £20
		Linux compatible modem                                  £12.50
   		Carriage                                                              £18

				Total   (inc VAT)                                  £99.50

                                                  
Part 2 will explain where to buy,  how to get by on less, what to spend on if 
you have more and a note on printers.

Bob